


Damaged Souls

by WritingCoffeeAddiction



Category: Orange is the New Black
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort Sex, Comfort/Angst, Developing Relationship, Drug Addiction, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship/Love, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lust at First Sight, Past Child Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Physical Abuse, Protectiveness, Romance, Sexual Abuse, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 17:26:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9775010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingCoffeeAddiction/pseuds/WritingCoffeeAddiction
Summary: Two people with almost the exact opposite of problems run into each other. They find comfort within one another. But will their comfort turn into more? Lorna/Nicky.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the show or characters. All I own is the writing and story.

Rain pours down on a hot summer's day – in early June – making it difficult for Nicky Nichols to light her cigarette as she walks down the street from the bar. She lets out a grunt, trying even harder to get it to work. Her body desperately craves the thin little lung-killer; she hasn't had one since the night before. Finally, it catches and she happily starts smoking it. She holds it between her fingers while continuing her way down the street and in the direction of her apartment.

Arriving at the building, she decides to take the stairs for the extra exercise that she knows her body might benefit from. And it's not like she has too far to go since her place is located on the second floor, so it's not that bothersome for her to walk. She gets her key out from her purse and let's herself in to her apartment. A furry creature comes to greet her – her stray cat, Smokey, that she found a few years ago, abandoned as a kitten. Most of the people she knew could have never imagined her to have a pet cat – and frankly, neither did she – but she felt sorry for the little thing, and could relate to his situation, which brought her to taking him in.

Nicky burns out her cigarette and throws it out before bending down to give the cat a pet. "Good to see ya too, Smokes," she smirks as he rubs up against her – begging for her undivided attention. She scoops him up, carrying him into the living room with her where she plops herself down on the couch and grabs the remote. The cat curls onto her lap while she's busy flipping through the channels.

The minute she finds a good show her phone goes off and she groans excessively loud. Annoyed, Nicky gets it out from her pocket while giving an irritated ' _hello'_ to whoever decided to ruin her night. "You do not speak to your mother in such a nasty tone, Nicole!" That voice makes Nicky groan even louder – she can't stand her mother, the woman who's done absolutely nothing a real mother would do. "Look here, young lady, I got a call from your landlord _again_ , and hear that you're not paying your rent! I swear to God you better not be spending the money Paolo and I so kindly gave to you on those nasty drugs! Because if that's the case, you can kiss our kindness goodbye. I'm not working hard to pay for my daughter's drug addiction, Nicole," Mrs. Nichols' voice rings loudly into the redhead's ear.

"Fuck off, Marka," Nicky says bitterly, stroking a hand through her cat's fur. "You know damn well you only gave me that money so I would be outta your hair! You told me to get the fuck outta your house because you don't have the time for me anymore! So, you can go fuck yourself, Marka – I'm tired of your shit!" She hangs up the phone before her mother has the chance to say anything else and angrily throws it back in her pocket. She grabs the cat from her lap, gives him a gentle stroke behind his ear, and then places him on the couch. A nice evening of watching her favorite shows turns into a rage-filled evening of wanting to do drugs; she grabs her purse and runs back out of her apartment.

* * *

Just getting off her shift of waiting tables at a local restaurant, Lorna Morello decides to take an evening stroll through town and get herself a much-needed cup of coffee. As she passes by an alley, she can hear arguing and things falling loudly to the concrete ground – so she slowly walks over to have a look at what's going on. A woman with a bush of thick and somewhat-matted red hair is yelling angrily at another darker-toned woman – who's nearly a head taller than her – who looks about ready punch her.

Lorna hesitantly walks closer, hoping she can somehow stop the two of them before the police catch them – as they tend to patrol the city this time of night. "Uh, is everything okay over here?" Her voice meek as she asks this, looking the two over nervously. She probably shouldn't have come over here – what business is it of hers? But she can't stand to see or hear people fighting, so she feels it's her duty to try to stop them.

The darker woman turns to stare at who's interrupted them, angrily rolling her eyes. "This doesn't concern you – get the fuck outta here before I shoot you!" She harshly growls, reaching into her pocket, and pulling out a gun. She points it at her to show her she means business. "You better turn around and walk back to your privileged little life, white girl. Ain't nothin' for you to do here," she hisses, before turning her attention back to the redhead.

Ignoring the woman's order that she leaves, Lorna continues to stand there and observe what's going on between the two. She notices the secret exchange between them, and comes to realize she's witnessing a drug deal take place right before her eyes. Her palms become sweaty as she continues to watch it all play out – she's never been around drugs before and it's giving her a bad feeling. Finally, the darker woman leaves but not before she harshly whispers something into the redhead's ear.

Feeling it's safe now, Lorna finds herself walking closer to the other woman – who's just a few inches taller than herself. "Are, are you okay?" She asks softly, studying her features, and notices the track marks that run up and down this woman's arm. It makes her cringe to see her body's getting destroyed by drug use. "Sorry…I know it's not my business or nothing – I just I heard yelling and got worried," she looks down at the ground, not sure how this person will react to her question.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing for you to worry bout', kid," the redhead responds, her voice throaty – indicating to Lorna that she's probably a hardcore cigarette smoker. Looking down at the petite brunette, her big brown eyes pour into hers as she places a smirk on her face. "You always go around stopping people from fighting? You could get yourself killed doing that, you know kid?" She chuckles a bit as she gets a cigarette from her pocket and lights it up. "I'm Nicky, by the way. What about you, huh?"

Lorna stares back up at her as she shrugs her shoulders. "I'm Lorna," she replies, watching her with curiosity. She's intrigued and appalled by this woman all at the same time. "How'd ya get those marks on your arms?" Her words come out before her mind has a chance to catch up with what's going on. She knows that's a personal thing to ask, especially considering they only just met but she can't stop her curiosity.

That question causes Nicky to take a smoke of her cigarette before she gives an answer. She can tell that this young woman has never been around drugs before since she can't tell what those scars are. "Those are called track marks, kid. I'm addicted to heroin. You do know what heroin is, right?" Another chuckle escapes her as she looks over at the brunette. She can't help but search her over; she has never seen a more perfect woman and is somewhat surprised she hasn't run into her before.

Nodding her head, Lorna quietly gasps. She has never been around any drug addicts before – seeing as her family raised her to be a good little Catholic girl. They sheltered her and her siblings' life while they grew up, not letting them hang out with friends outside of the church or going anywhere without the entire family. "I know what heroin is…just never known anyone who was addicted to it. What makes you like it so much? It's not healthy to be taking that kinda stuff," she blurts out again.

Nicky laughs, "No kidding! I thought hitting myself up with heroin would make me live longer!" She jokes, staring at Lorna – who looks anything but amused with it. Sighing, she brings her cigarette to her lips and takes a long smoke. "Well, let's just say when you don't have the pressure of having to keep your grades up in high school or anything important, you get bored and find something to occupy that time. So I found heroin, and now it won't go away. Not that I want it to go away though, it's really all I have now," she says the last part quietly, hoping the shorter woman isn't able to hear it.

Hearing that causes a sympathetic expression to form on Lorna's face as she peers into her eyes. She can sense the pain that Nicky seems to be carrying inside, and that makes her heart feel heavy. "I'm sorry you feel that way… You know if you ever want to talk about things, instead of turning to drugs, just give me a call. I'm a great listener – here's my number," she says as she quickly scribbles it down on a piece of paper and hands it to the redhead.

* * *

A week has gone by since their encounter and Nicky decides to give Lorna a call – she's been feeling a bit down lately, and doesn't think the heroin can fix it this time. The two plan to meet at the coffee shop, a little way down from Nicky's apartment. On her way out, Nicky gives Smokey a pat on the head and grabs her purse off the kitchen table. She locks up her place, then makes her way to the elevators.

When she arrives at the coffee shop, only a few minutes later, she smiles as she notices the tiny brunette already sitting at a table with a cup of coffee in front of her. She quickly waits in line to order herself a coffee, and then goes to join Lorna at the table. "Good to see you again, kid," she gives her a playful smirk, taking a sip of her latte. "Thanks again for agreeing to come out with me – I could really use someone to talk to right now." Her tone much more serious now as she looks across at the other woman.

Smiling kindly, Lorna nods her head. "It's not a problem at all; I needed something to do, anyway. Plus, this gives me an excuse to have a coffee," she truthfully states, savoring the sweet goodness from her mocha. "Is everything all right, Nicky? What's on your mind?" Her voice soft and gentle as she gives a concerned glance towards the redhead. She's tempted to reach over to stroke her cheek – something her older sister always does to calm her – but refrains herself, not wanting to come across as strange.

"Nothing's all right these days, kid," Nicky smirks, but means it. Her mother has been giving her grief about not paying her rent or bills or anything that isn't heroin, and she's just about had enough of it. "Just been having a hell of a week – my dumbass of a mother won't get off my back about shit… Like she has the right to say anything to me! Fuckin' bitch throws her stupid money at me yelling at me to get the fuck outta the house and now she's mad at me for using her money – what the fuck kinda logic is that?!" She doesn't even notice at how hard her fists are shaking against the table or how loud her voice is getting.

Seeing how angry Nicky is, Lorna doesn't stop herself from leaning over the table and gently gabbing a hold of her hands. She strokes them tenderly with her thumbs, looking softly into the taller woman's brown eyes. "You gotta calm down there, Nicky," she soothes, not taking her eyes off of her. "So, I'm guessing you and your mom aren't on the best of terms? Could she possibly be the reason you're addicted to heroin?"

Nicky angrily laughs, shaking her head. "Mom? Marka doesn't know what the fuck that even is! She didn't do shit to raise me – all she did was throw me in daycare all my life – from the time I was a baby until the time I began school! She ain't a fucking mom, or mother; she's just a bitch who cares about her shitty ass self…and her precious dick of a boyfriend," she growls, feeling a mess of hot tears come rolling down her cheeks. She furiously wipes them away. "Ding, ding, ding – we have a winner! Of course _she's_ the damn I reason I turned to heroin, at least heroin doesn't neglect me! You know what, fuck this…talking about it just makes me feel worse!" She stands up and yanks Lorna out of her chair as well, making her follow her back to her apartment.

* * *

The minute they enter Nicky's place, she grabs Lorna by the face and starts kissing her on those perky-red lips of hers – something she's dreamt of doing since the day she first saw her. Her hands run up and down her body, desperately needing to feel her skin. She's pleased to feel Lorna kiss her back, and doesn't hold back on leading her to her bedroom. She gently pushes the smaller woman onto her bed, hovering over her as she traces her hands down her body.

To say Lorna was surprised about the turn of events would be a bit of an understatement. She didn't think their little coffee run would turn into a heated make-out session in Nicky's bed or that she might possibly be enjoying it. This is definitely new to her – she's never slept with a woman before, let alone kissed one. But she can't seem to find the will to stop her and is somewhat liking it.

"Goddamn, Lorna – you're fucking stunning," Nicky says in-between kisses, looking lustfully into Lorna's caring brown eyes. She reaches up with one hand to stroke her entire face, and uses her other to trace around her lower portion. Slowly, she starts undressing the younger woman – starting with her pants – but she stops midway when she notices faint bruises lining her thighs and calves. Concerned, she stares up at Lorna, "What happened to you, kid? Why are there so many bruises on your legs?"

_Oh fuck_ , Lorna silently says in her mind–she forgot all about those.


	2. Chapter 2

Nicky stares down at Lorna, anxiously waiting for her answer. She gently traces her fingers down her legs as she looks sadly at the bruises that cover them. What could possibly have happened to her? The redhead wonders, reaching her hands up to cup around Lorna's face – searching her eyes to see what they might be hiding. She uses the tip of her fingers to delicately stroke the other's cheek.

Letting out a defeated sigh, Lorna looks up at her with a dumbfounded expression. She suddenly regrets the situation she let herself get into – she should have stopped Nicky the minute she brought her here. "It's nothin'," she quickly says, wiggling her way out of the taller woman's grasp and friskily pulling her pants back up. She takes a long stare at Nicky, feeling guilty for leaving her so suddenly – but she cannot have her find out what the culprit of those bruises is, so she must go. "Look, it was real nice spending time with you today…and you're a wonderful kisser and all, but I gotta get going. My sister's probably wondering where I am. Maybe we can go out for coffee again sometime soon," she tries to sound cheerful and optimistic but is too worried to really care how she sounds.

* * *

Walking up the stairs to her family's home, Lorna sighs at the huge mess that surrounds their porch. Their house always tends to be the filthiest one in the neighborhood – her mother is medically unable to keep up with the cleaning and her father hardly knows what the word clean is. She slowly kicks a few empty containers away from the door before walking inside. She rolls her eyes when she sees her father planted in front of the television – that's all he ever does is sit in front of the tv.

Taking his eyes off the screen, Joe Morello turns to stare at his youngest daughter. "And just where the fuck were you, Lorna? You better of been at work making some damn money! You know me and your mother can't afford to pay these bills all by ourselves. You wanna continue living under our roof, you pay us half of your paycheck!" He speaks loudly, grabbing his beer bottle from the end table and having a swig of it.

Letting out a frustrated breath, Lorna glares madly at the older man. She's sick of the way he treats everyone; he's never happy with anything anyone does. And she's not sure how much longer she can deal with it. "I'm fucking twenty-three years old, dad! I'm allowed to go out when I please, and I fucking have a damn job. I make money and give it to you all the time – stop acting like I do nothin' around here! All you do is sit on your ass and watch TV all damn day, so who the fuck are you to yell at me for going out?" The minute she says that she instantly regrets it, seeing the rage that builds on her father's face.

"You fuckin' bitch," Mr. Morello growls, finishing the last of his beer and throwing it towards Lorna's head. He doesn't care too much when the bottle hits her forehead – leaving it filled with bloody scratches – then, crashes onto the hardwood floor. "You have no damn right to talk to your father like that, Lorna! What the fuck makes you think that? Keep it up and you'll be out on the streets – you hear me little girl?" He gets up from his recliner, walking towards the disgruntled brunette and gives her a hard slap to the face.

Before Lorna can even react, Franny comes in from upstairs and crosses her arms over her chest – observing what's happened with a gleam of anger in her eyes. "You're gonna wake the baby up with all that yellin', dad! Cut it out! And what the fuck happened to Lorna's face?" She says, walking closer to her sister to inspect her injury. She can see through Lorna's composure – that she is rather terrified of their father's behavior even though she's trying so hard to ignore it. The older woman sighs sadly as she wraps her arms protectively around Lorna and gives a cold glare towards Joe, "You better leave her the fuck alone; I'm sick of you abusing the hell outta my sister! I swear to God, dad – if I see you do one more thing to hurt her I'm callin' the fucking police on you. I mean it, I'm tired of your bullshit."

Joe rolls his eyes as he glares angrily at his two daughters. "When she runs her mouth saying she thinks her father does nothing around here, she deserves a hard slap back to reality! If it weren't for me, none of you ungrateful little fuckers would even have a place to live! And you're even lucky I'm letting you stay here now, Franny! Getting pregnant out of marriage, twice, I should have kicked ya out like a normal Catholic father would but I'm a nice man so I couldn't do that. But don't think I ain't afraid to – you keep this bitchy attitude of yours up and you'll find yourself without a home," he shouts in her face, pushing his way to the kitchen.

* * *

Nicky makes her way down to her favorite Russian bakery – her usual cigarette in her hand – and enters it with a grin when she sees Red, the owner, rushing around getting fresh coffee ready to be served. "Nicky, you better not be smoking in here! You know I don't like that stuff," the older woman firmly states in her thick Russian accent as she finishes roasting fresh coffee beans.

Smirking, Nicky takes one last smoke before she throws it away and heads over to help the older woman. "Sorry, ma; I needed a cig this morning – been having a hell of a week, ya know?" She looks over at Red – a woman who has become so important to her, who treats her like a daughter something her own mother has no idea how to do. Red tries to be a mother figure in her life, tries so hard to keep her off drugs but it's just not enough for Nicky. When she craves them, there's no stopping her from getting them.

Once the coffee begins to brew, Red turns to the young woman and gives a concerned stare. She takes a moment to pull her in for a comforting embrace while running a hand gently through her mess of hair. "What's the bitch down now?" Her features harden, knowing all too well that Marka Nichols is the cause of her Nicky's trouble. She gives her a soothing pat on the head before going back over to the coffee pot – taking the pot off the brewing station and bringing it to the counter so that she can pour it into two mugs. One she gives to Nicky and the other she keeps for herself.

"Mm, thanks Red," she smiles, eagerly taking a sip of the coffee. Coffee goes well after a nice cigarette, Nicky thinks. "More like what hasn't she done! I'm just fuckin' sick and tired of her shit – she complains when I live with her, she complains when I don't live with her…What the fuck does she want from me?! She thinks _I_ owe _her_. What the fuck do I owe her? She's the dumbass who neglected me, her own fucking daughter!" She rages; irritated from having to discuss the topic of her deadbeat mother. Just talking about her makes Nicky want to hit herself up with heroin. Heroin always makes her feel better.

Sipping her hot beverage, Red sighs listening to the anger in the other's voice. It deeply sickens her to know that one's own mother could just completely ignore their own child like Marka has done with Nicky. No wonder the poor girl's addicted to drugs, she thinks, drugs don't neglect her the way her mother does. "Oh, Nicky; my sweet, precious Nicky," she wraps her arms tight around her waist, giving her a warm kiss on the head, "Marka does not deserve to be your mother. She doesn't deserve to have a beautiful person like you in her life. I'll tell you what – if she keeps on bothering you, you tell me and I'll pay her a little visit. I'm not having her do this to you again; I refuse to allow you to keep turning to drugs because of this bitch."

* * *

After spending a few hours helping Red at the bakery, Nicky decides to stop home to check on her cat. As she walks in the direction of her apartment building, she sees a familiar woman walking the other way with a quite noticeable limp. She turns to follow her – wanting to finally find out what's happened to her legs. (The agony of not knowing is killing her.) She finally reaches where Lorna is and abruptly stands in front of her so she isn't able to ignore her. "Hey, kid – it's been a few days since I've heard from you…how ya doin'?" Nicky cautiously asks, not wanting to scare her off again.

Hearing that voice – that voice that makes her heart skip a few beats – Lorna turns to face her, hoping desperately that her make-up did a decent job at covering up the bruises on her face. She puts on a warm smile while trying to hide the physical pain that she's clearly in. "Oh hi, Nicky. Yeah, it's been a busy couple a days for me…had to work a double shift and everything. I've been pretty good, what about yourself? Haven't been getting in any more fights, have you?" Her voice a bit too cheerful as she questions the taller woman.

Nicky can see right through her and easily notices outlines of scratches along her forehead as well as cheekbones. It breaks her heart to see the pain this young woman is in, even though she's trying desperately hard to cover it up. "Sure about that kid? Because the bruises on your face tell me otherwise…And don't forget about the ones that fucking cover your legs! You're fucking limping for Christ-sake; what the fuck happened to you? Did you fall on concrete or something?" She exasperatedly throws out her questions – hoping to get some answers out of the girl. There's certainly something not adding up with her, and Nicky vows to find the underlying cause of it.

"It's nothing! Stop hammering me about it! Besides, what's it to you? We're hardly friends; so why the fuck do you care about my damn bruises so much?" Lorna unintentionally freaks out, backing away from the taller woman. She hates when people try to get into her business – acting as if they care or want to help her. She knows no one truly cares about her well-being (aside from her two older siblings), otherwise her father would have been thrown in prison a long time ago.

Frustrated that this is going nowhere, Nicky stares darkly at the petite brunette. She roughly grabs her by the shoulders, forcing her to look up at her. "I fucking told you about my drug addiction and my idiot mother – why the fuck can't you tell me about what's going on with you? You think I wanted to open up and fucking talk about that shit?! Hell no! So you better fucking get over it and open up about your own problems!" She nearly yells, peering intensely into Lorna's brown eyes. The tears that start to pour out makes Nicky realize she's finally broken through to her, but feels a bit guilty for being so harsh towards her.

Lorna hates how easy it is for her to break – which could be why she's such an easy target for her father to abuse the way that he does. Tears run down her cheeks as she timidly looks up at the redhead, who stares back at her with empathy. "It's-it's a long story… Can-can we go somewhere private?" Her voice meek and cracking through her silent cries. She bows her head, not wanting to seem so weak in front of Nicky.

Instinctively, Nicky's arms envelope tightly around the smaller woman. She gives a comforting kiss to her head, looking softly into her pained eyes and slowly nods her head. "Of course, kid. Whatever will make you most comfortable," she says softly, squeezing her gently in her arms. With some reluctance, she releases her from the hug but grabs her hand as she leads her to a place where they can talk – a secluded park she found back when she was a young girl and wanted to get away from Marka.

* * *

When they arrive at the park, Nicky leads them to a bench that sits out facing a huge lake. Once they're both sitting down, she proceeds to wrap a protective arm around Lorna's shoulder – hoping the gesture might calm her and encourage her to open up. "So, mind telling me what's going on in your life – why your body is all battered up?" She keeps her voice soft, trying to be a good friend and comfort her. Something she's always had a hard time with, since she was never taught to empathize with others.

The feeling of Nicky's arm around her brings a soothing sensation over her. But she's still not too keen on the idea of sharing her past, what's happened all her life, because she's sure this woman doesn't truly care for her. No one does – all through elementary school, when her father abused she and Franny the most, not one teacher did a thing about it. This is no different now, she thinks. Tears won't stop coming out of her eyes, thinking about it brings so many emotions back up.

Nicky hugs her tighter when she sees how upset she's getting – she grabs her head tenderly in her hand, stroking soothing circles around where the faint scratches are, and then lays it onto her shoulder. "It's okay, kid; whatever it is that happened, you can tell me." She kisses the top of her head while holding her close. It makes her heart break to see how much Lorna seems to be keeping inside – the pain and suffering she's had to deal with.

"My-my dad," Lorna shakily starts off, closing her eyes tight as if to stop herself from breaking apart, "He's an alcoholic…has been all my life…and-and ever since me and my sister were little, he-he would hit us and beat us. He would take his anger out on us, and we would end up with really bad bruises all over our bodies. But our teachers never noticed or even if they did, they never said a thing. And it only got worse the older we got. Once I turned eighteen, instead of just physically abusing me, he started – he started to sexually abuse me… He said since I'm an adult now, he doesn't have to worry about the police or nothin', he can have his way with me." She looks down at her trembling hands, watching as her tears fall and land on them – slowly growing a puddle of her tears. "We kinda fit well together, Nicky," she timidly says, lifting her head to stare back up at the older woman, "You hardly got any attention, and I got way too much attention…"

Hearing this brings a deep, boiling rage to Nicky. She can hardly believe her ears. What kind of father abuses their own child? What kind of father would be okay with physically putting their hands on their own little girl? Shaking her head, she fiercely wraps both arms around Lorna – wishing that would be enough to protect her from such a sick person. "Is that how you got those bruises on your legs? Your fucking father did this to you? He-he fucking violated you….or is still violating you, I should say! Oh fuck no, there's no way you're going back there. Absolutely no way in hell will I allow you to go back home just so that…that piece of trash can hurt you even more!" She sternly says, looking sadly down at the shaking woman in her arms. Running a comforting hand through her short hair, she presses a tiny kiss to her forehead. "I'm so sorry you've been hurt so badly by your own fucking father. You don't deserve that, kid! And you're done getting abuse; I want you to move in with me, there's no way I can let you go back to your house, not when you're just gonna be continuously abused. You could end up dead if you don't get the fuck outta there, kid – and I really don't want something like that to happen," she holds her arms tighter around her; knowing if she lets go that Lorna will have the chance to go back to the abuse.


	3. Chapter 3

Later that night – after spending a long couple of hours talking at the park – Nicky finally convinced Lorna to come back to the apartment with her. There was absolutely no way she would let her go back to her own house, where she would only continue to get abused and battered. Upon entering her home, she can hear the loud meowing of her cat causing her to stifle a laugh. That cat is constantly whining for attention, she knows, and she always gives in to it – she empathizes with his situation, from her lack of attention growing up.

Smokey comes running when he sees his human standing in the kitchen. He meows loudly while rubbing up against her legs, begging to be picked up. Feeling himself being lifted off the ground, he happily rubs his head against Nicky's cheek and playfully claws onto her fingers which in turn makes her yelp. A hand gently strokes through his gray fur, and he realizes it's not his owner's hand so he looks to see who it belongs to.

Lorna smiles down at the furry little creature, running her tiny hands delicately through his fur. "Well, aren't you just the cutest little thing?" She coos at the cat, stroking gently underneath his ears – something he seems to enjoy as he rubs his head on her hand, wanting her to continue such motion. "I never pictured you as a cat person, Nicky," the shorter woman says with a light chuckle.

"Neither did I, kid. But I couldn't just pass him up when I saw him – a stray, helpless kitten with no family," Nicky replies, giving a gentle kiss to the cat's head before letting him down. She sighs, staring back at Lorna with deep concern showing on her face. "Maybe you should go see a doctor tomorrow about your leg. You're limping really bad. It could be broken, kid." The redhead kindly suggests as she gets herself a can of Diet Coke from her fridge.

Hearing that irritates Lorna somewhat but she gives a small nod – not wanting to argue about it. She's not even too sure if she should permanently stay here with Nicky, it's not like they've known each other that long or anything. And besides, her older sister will be worried for her if she's not home. She can't just up and abandon Franny – the one person in her life who's tried to protect her from the abuse. "I'll stay for a night or two…but then I have to go back. I gotta help my sister with her kids and my mom's real ill. I appreciate your kindness and wanting to help me, but I just – I can't abandon my family, especially Franny; she's always been there for me. I hope you understand, Nicky," she softly says, trying to compromise with her. As much as she'd love to get away from her father, she knows what a mistake that would be.

Slamming her hands angrily on the counter, Nicky's face turns beet red as she turns to stare at the other. It frustrates her to no end how wishy-washy this young woman can be. "Are you fucking kidding me? Why the fuck do you want to go back to a place where you're being beaten to death? And your sister has kids living here? Maybe you should tell her to get the hell outta there too! You're not going back, I outright refuse to let you, kid. How can I let you go back when I know you are just going to continue to be abused? What kind of friend would I be if I did that to you? _You_ may not value your life, but _I_ do and there's no way I will allow you to go back," her voice is firm and filled with rage. She cups Lorna's face in her hands, just staring intently into her eyes – trying to understand what could possibly be going through her mind.

* * *

A harsh knock on Nicky's apartment door wakes she and Lorna up the next morning. Agitated, Nicky lets out a groan as she reluctantly forces herself to get out of bed and go see who's chosen to piss off the wrong person. When she opens the door, she is met with her mother's arrogant face while she hurls insults at her. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence, mother dearest?" Sarcasm clearly lining her tone as she glares darkly into the older woman's eyes.

Marka Nichols huffs out a dissatisfied breath, looking her daughter over. Crossing her arms angrily over her chest, she shakes her head disapprovingly. "Well, seeing as you've so rudely ignored my calls, I had no other choice but to come here. I'm giving you until Friday to pay your rent – if you don't, I will not be giving you any more of my hard-earned money. Paolo and I had a talk; and he's right, I'm way too generous to you," she snottily says, impatiently tapping her well-polished shoe on the ground.

Laughing obnoxiously loud, Nicky claps her hands together while getting a cigarette from a pack that's lying on her table. She quickly lights it and sticks it in her mouth, purposefully blowing the air out right in her mother's face. "Paolo is an idiot and so are you, Marka. You're not generous – I doubt you even know what the fuck that even means. And I don't give a rat's ass if you give me money or not, I got a job and make my own damn money. I sure as fuck don't need yours. So, fuck off and get the hell outta my place," she yells, not caring that the smoke keeps getting inhaled by the older woman. She pushes her back out the door and then quickly shuts and locks it.

"Nicky," Lorna's voice softly calls out as she meekly walks in from the living room. She worriedly stares at the taller woman, noticing how angry and upset she seems to be. "Are you okay? What was all that yelling about?" The way Nicky stands there, smoking away with the cigarette, very faintly shaking causes concern to grow on Lorna's face. She slowly walks closer to her, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder while staring warmly in to her eyes.

Nicky hates herself for the way Lorna makes her feel. Her young, innocent face makes her want to throw her cigarette away and never touch another one again. And that absolutely baffles her – nothing ever interferes with her craving for drugs. "It's all good, kid," she takes a breath and discards the cigarette. "I'm gonna start a pot of coffee, ya want some?" Looking the petite brunette over makes her want to repeat her actions from the first time she brought her to her apartment – sex never felt so good as it had with Lorna. She has an itching desire to just take her back to her bedroom and have her way with her, but can't bring herself to do it – not after finding out that she's been sexually abused, she doesn't want to do something that might mentally scar her for life. So, she settles for wrapping her in a tight hug and giving a tender kiss to her head.

Standing on the tip of her feet, Lorna softly cups the redhead's face in her hands and presses a light kiss on her lips. "You make my heart flutter… a lot, Nicky. There's just somethin' about you that makes me so intrigued – I could just watch you all day and listen to you talk for hours," she runs her finger slowly across her jawline, smiling brightly at her.

The resistance Nicky tried to hold onto vanished the minute she felt Lorna's soft lips on her own. She stops everything she's doing and fiercely envelopes her arms around the smaller woman, pulling her against her own body as she smashes their lips back together – this time much longer and deeper. "Goddamn Lorna; you're hot when you're unintentionally blurting out your feelings," she says through the kiss, her voice breathy and warm against Lorna's face. Her hands grab fistfuls of her hair as she continues to kiss her, slowly moving them to her bedroom.

Gently pushing her onto the bed, Nicky looks down at the brunette and takes in all of her beauty. She runs her hand delicately down each of her cheeks, making sure to be extra cautious as she's not too sure how to go about having sex with her. Knowing what Lorna's been through with the sickening father of hers, Nicky refuses to do anything that might hurt her or bring back painful memories. "Lorna, kid, you gotta tell me if I'm going too fast for you, okay? And if you want to stop, you just the say the word – I won't be mad at you, I promise." Her lips softly press against Lorna's forehead.

"Nicky, please don't be skittish around me…I know you're nervous because of what my dad's done but I know you're not like him." Lorna looks up at the redhead, reaching her hand up to gently caress her chin. "You're sweet and kind and _so_ gentle. You make me feel safe with you; I know you won't try to hurt me or nothing," she speaks softly, pressing a trail of kiss down Nicky's neck, "You're so beautiful and have such soft skin."

Nicky smiles warmly down at the smaller woman, feeling her body become all tingly and warm from the kind words being said to her. "That's right, baby; I'm nothing like that poor excuse of a father of yours. I would never do a thing to hurt you… I mean look at you – you're so damn adorable, how the fuck could anyone want to cause you pain? And you're so sweet you make my gums hurt," she laughs light-heartedly, kissing her gently on the lips while running her hand through her hair.

Her heart exploding inside of her, Lorna places a hand on either side of Nicky's cheeks as she deepens the kiss – keeping it going until they both must stop to catch their breath. "You're full of so much love, I don't see how your mother could just not want to be your mom… That makes my heart hurt for you – your own mother doesn't even care, what a bitch," she tenderly says, looking softly up at her as she strokes her cheek with her thumb. "I'm sorry, I hope I didn't ruin the moment."

Stroking Lorna's hair, she kisses the top of her head softly and stares gently down at her. "You kinda did, kid – but that's okay," she speaks against her ear, cupping her hands around the smaller woman's cheeks and kissing her lips lightly. Afterward, she lays Lorna's head delicately onto her chest, using one hand to continuously ruffle through her hair, "I don't mind just laying here and holding you for a while. It's kind of relaxing, actually."

* * *

While Nicky's busy cleaning the bakery, Red sits down with Lorna at one of the circular tables as they sip on coffee. She's surprised that the two young women (whom she became close to) have met the way that they did. Though, she's glad that they did meet because she had a hunch that the pair of them could be good for each other. "How's your job treating you, Lorna? You like waitressing?" The Russian woman wonders, taking a sip of coffee.

Smiling, Lorna nods and takes a sip of her own coffee. She's always liked Red, ever since she met her a couple years ago. Knowing her for so long and visiting her bakery so often, she is a bit surprised she never met Nicky in all that time – especially because Nicky and Red have known each longer than the two of them have. "Yes, it's not too bad. I get good tips and the customers are usually nice so I can't complain."

Unfortunately, before their conversation can go any further, an angry customer enters the bakery and is carrying a gun in his hand. Lorna's heart beats faster when she sees that the customer is her father, and tries to hide herself by making herself look tiny in the chair. Despite her attempts, Mr. Morello sees her and comes marching over to her. "A little bird tells me you think you're moving out…Is that so, little girl?! You think you're capable of living on your own, Lorna? You think you know how to be an adult and have responsibilities? What a bunch of bullshit that is! You can hardly afford to live at home…and you don't even have to pay rent! What the fuck makes you think that you can survive without me and your mother?" He points his gun at her head, angrily glaring into her frightened eyes.

Nicky immediately runs to Lorna's side, trying to grab her, and pull her away from the man but he's too strong for even her to stop him. He pushes her away, roughly putting his arms around his petite daughter while keeping the gun pointed over her head. Watching the scene, Nicky feels a hot surge of rage run through her – she stares at Lorna, longing so terribly to want to get her out of this mess. "Lorna, it's okay…don't be scared, baby…Red and I won't let anything happen to you. Just try to-try to stay calm, kid. I'm not leaving you, I promise," she keeps her voice soft, hoping to soothe Lorna's fear away, even though she knows that's very slim.

Red takes out her phone and immediately dials the police. She yells at them to hurry, throwing the phone in her pocket once she's finished. "You let that sweet child go right now, Mr. Morello. You are already in enough troubles as it is – you shoot her and you'll be in prison for the rest of your life. Now, you had better let her go…I swear to God if you hurt her, I will slice your head off with a damn cake knife." She hisses darkly at the Italian man, which only ticks him off more and causes him to slide his finger onto the trigger.


	4. Chapter 4

Almost like in slow motion, Nicky horrifically watches as Mr. Morello angrily pulls the trigger and the bullet goes flying right into Lorna's head – causing a piercingly loud scream to echo in the room. She feels her legs moving her in the direction of Lorna – who is now lying on the ground, barely clinging to life as blood pools around her head. Tears pour out of her eyes as she kneels down, wrapping her arms tight around the smaller woman. She hardly budges when the paramedics come and try to grab the injured brunette from her.

Witnessing the horrendous sight, Red rushes over to where Nicky is and gently pulls her away from Lorna so that she can be tended to. "She needs to go to the hospital, Nicky… You need to let them take her. We'll meet them there just as soon as the police get here," she pats her back softly, her heart breaking for both women. How could this happen? She silently wonders; how could a father shoot his own child?

Minutes later, the police finally show up – barging roughly in the entrance and making their way over to the man holding a gun in his hand. After questioning him as well as both Red and Nicky, they put him in handcuffs and lead him out of the shop. Red sighs in relief that he's finally off to a place he belongs. She gathers Nicky in a tight hug, kissing her gently on the head, "Now that that's taken care of, we can go to the hospital and see how Lorna is. And we better give her sister a call, she's probably worried sick about her."

* * *

Franny rushes into the ER waiting room with a screaming baby on her hip and a disgruntled toddler pulling on her leg. When she finds Red – who she only knows through her sister – and Nicky sitting there, she goes over to them. "What the hell happened to Lorna?! Please don't tell me she's fucking dead!" Her cries and yelling only causes the baby more distress as his screaming gets louder. She slowly sits down in a chair, rocking the baby and helping her older son onto the chair next to hers.

Looking over at the hysterical woman, Red feels empathy rise within herself as she goes to sit beside her. She's only met Franny a few times in the last two years that she has known Lorna. But even with the small amount of times they've seen or talked to each other, she can tell how much Franny cares for her younger sister and she can hardly imagine what she must be feeling right now. "We haven't heard anything yet, the doctor said they had to rush her in for surgery – to get the bullet out and see what damage it's caused. She was shot in the head…by your father. I'm so sorry to tell you this; I can't imagine how much this must hurt you," she soothingly says, grabbing the brunette woman's free hand and stroking it comfortingly.

Hearing what happened to her sister brings more tears to her eyes as she fiercely shakes her head. There's no way their father would go that far…he wouldn't murder his own daughter – his little girl – would he? "What the fuck?! Why – he shot her?! He shot my damn sister – his fucking daughter?! No…no, that can be true… I know he's a sick fucking asshole…but he wouldn't attempt to kill Lorna… That's his own damn daughter, how-how could he do that to her? How could he shoot her after all the other fucked up things he's done to her?! Please, please tell me he's in jail now," she cries even more, feeling so terrible that she let this happen to her sister. She should have called the police long ago and maybe – just maybe – Lorna would be okay right now.

"We made sure he didn't leave unless in handcuffs," Red roughly says, still sickened by the events of the morning.

* * *

Hours slowly pass before a doctor informs them on Lorna's condition. They have gotten the bullet entirely removed from her brain, but she will remain in a medically-induced coma until the swelling comes down. Complications are expected for her due to the location the bullet was found – chances are that she may likely never see again, the bullet pressed onto her optic nerves and irreversibly damaged them. Nicky's heart broke hearing all that; she can't imagine how hard it's going to be for Lorna when she finally wakes up.

* * *

A few weeks go by before Lorna finally awakens from the coma. She's so confused and scared, not knowing where she is or what's happened to her. Her eyes open to search her surroundings but all she sees is darkness, which causes her to let a loud scream out. Arms wrap tight around her as they pull her close to their owner's body. She tries to think who it might be but without her sight she's not able to figure it out. "Mmmm," Lorna becomes even more fearful when she realizes her voice isn't seeming to work.

On one hand, Nicky's thrilled that Lorna is finally conscious but on the other hand, she is pained to see how broken the coma's left her. She holds her tight in her arms, knowing that being felt may be the only way Lorna can tell that she's there. "Shh, kid, don't talk," she gently says, running a hand through her short hair. "You need to rest your voice, Lorna – you just had a tube down there for the past three weeks." Knowing how confused the younger woman must be brings an overwhelming feeling of sympathy to Nicky. She wishes there was a way to help her cope better, but she has no idea how to help a blind person.

The sound of that voice brings a comfort to Lorna – she knows exactly who's got their arms around her now. And with that realization, she relaxes a bit. She's frustrated that she can't see her (or anything for that matter); she reaches her hands up to touch the woman's face and slowly moves them across it until she comes to her hair, and knows for sure it's Nicky. A small smile spreads across her face as she keeps her hands on the redhead's mass of curls, "Nnn-Nic-Nnnicky." Her voice is scratchy and hard to come out, but she forces herself to say the name and feels fulfilled that it actually came out almost in an understandable language.

"That would be me, kid," Nicky softly says, stroking the shorter woman's face tenderly. She holds her as close to her body as she can, looking warmly down at her – it saddens her a bit to find out that Lorna will never be able to see her or anyone close to her again, but she's made a vow to herself that she will do whatever she can to help and take care of her. "I'm so glad you're okay, Lorna…You mean so much to me and I was so worried for you these last several weeks – _everyone_ was! But now you're awake, and you will only improve with each day."

* * *

By the time September rolls around, Lorna is finally being released from the hospital and heading home with Nicky – who made it very clear to her that she will be taking care of her. Lorna doesn't argue with her, knowing that's probably the most feasible option since her older sister is already so busy with her two sons. She must hold onto Nicky's arm as they make their way out to her car. Not being able to see anymore has put a definite toll on her; she's terrified of the world now and cannot stand the darkness that constantly surrounds her. The only thing that puts a small amount of ease to her is having Nicky with her.

* * *

Throughout the car ride home, Nicky occasionally stares over at Lorna – making sure she's doing all right. She knows the woman is still having a hard time digesting the fact that she's irreversibly blind. Something that pangs a guilty feeling in her own heart; she can't begin to imagine what that must be like for her friend. To be able to see one day and then wake up several weeks later without any sight at all. The thought alone makes a chill run down her spine – she wouldn't know what to do if she were in Lorna's shoes.

* * *

Pulling into the parking lot, Nicky parks her car as close as she can to the entrance – to make the walk as easy and fast as she can for Lorna. She gets out and walks over to the other side to help Lorna out. Immediately, she wraps a secure arm around the shorter woman's waist and starts leading her inside the building. "You wanna attempt the stairs, kid? Or would you feel safer using the elevator? Be honest with me, I want you to be comfortable – I don't care how we get up there," she softly says, pressing a kiss to Lorna's forehead.

"I can manage the stairs; I'll just hold onto the railing," Lorna mutters, feeling around the room for where the stairs may be located. She touches something wooden and vertical, assuming it to be a railing as she can feel the wall right beside it. Holding tightly onto it, she very meekly begins climbing up the stairs. But halfway up she stops, having no idea how far up she has to go. "Nicky? Uh, I forgot that I can't see…So I don't exactly know how much farther up it is. You mind helping me, please?"

Within seconds, Nicky is right behind her with her arms wrapped around her as she guides her up the rest of the way. "I'll never mind helping you, kid," she whispers gently against her ear before digging through her purse for her key. She quickly unlocks the door to the apartment and takes Lorna's hand, leading her inside. Carefully, she helps the petite brunette into the living room and sits her on the couch. She leaves her for a minute while she goes back to her bedroom and grabs hold of a leash that's attached to the collar of a furry pet.

Coming back into the living room, Nicky brings the animal slowly over to Lorna. "Lorna, I hope you don't mind but I've done some research and found that service dogs do a lot of good for those that are blind…so I decided to get you one. I know you like to be independent so I thought this might help some – you know just in case I can't be there, at least you'll have this dog to help you. He's a Husky and his name is Lysol," she can't help but laugh a bit when she says his name – _who the hell names a dog after a cleaning product?_ She gently takes the dog closer to Lorna, letting him carefully sniff her hands.

Lorna gently reached her hand towards the dog's head, giving it a loving stroke. She smiles; her heart melts at the thought of Nicky's taking the time to do something so generous for her. "Oh, Nicky – that was so sweet of you to do! And I've always dreamt of getting a husky one day – didn't think it'd happen like this, but I'm still grateful. Thank you so much," she pulls herself up and feels for the redhead's face, cupping it lovingly in her hands as she kisses her on the cheek. "His name is seriously Lysol, though?" A small laugh escapes her as she gently pulls away from Nicky and feels around for the dog, petting him softly on the head.

That laugh brings a smile to Nicky's face; she hasn't heard the other laugh since before the shooting incident. It makes her heart flutter with joy to see that she's starting to go back to the cheerful person she once was. "I'd do anything for you, kid. And yes, that's really the dog's name…I guess whoever owned him last, before turning him over to become a service dog, had a little shit—I mean kid—and let it name the dog. That kid must have no imagination if the best name they can come up with is fucking _Lysol_! I mean who the fuck names a dog _that_?!" The two share a long laugh over it and spend the rest of the day playing with the overly-excited husky.

* * *

A couple weeks go by, and Lorna starts to become restless without working during the day. So, Nicky talks to Red about seeing if she can come work at the bakery with the two of them – to help Lorna feel more normal, and because she rather have her within close proximity. The two women, along with Lysol, take the five-minute walk down to the bakery – enjoying the beautifully warm fall weather.

When they arrive, Nicky holds the door open for Lorna and her dog. She enters after them, looking around for Red. A bright smile spreads on her face when she sees her come over to them with her arms wide open for a hug. Nicky happily obliges, wrapping her arms tight around the Russian woman's neck, gently pulling Lorna into the embrace as well. "It's good to see my two favorite girls again," Red gently says, patting them both on the head. She gave Nicky the last two weeks off so that she could help to get Lorna settled in at the apartment with her. "And I see we've got a new friend with us. A cute little—or might I say big—fellow, he is. What's his name?" She releases the girls and bends down to pet the dog, a smile on her face.

"That's Lysol – Don't ask why he's named after a cleaning product; Lorna and I did not choose his name," Nicky chuckles, not able to get over how ridiculous the name is for a dog. She looks over at Lorna, studying her face to see how exactly she's feeling. "I got him for Lorna; he's a service dog and does pretty well at helping her get around."

Red laughs as she continues to give attention to the happy dog. She strokes gently behind his ears, knowing how much her old dog used to enjoy that. "Lysol? Some name that is. He's a cute dog nonetheless," she states, giving him one last stroke before getting up. She crosses her arms over her chest, giving a serious stare towards both women – though she knows Lorna can't see it. "Enough of this; time to get to work, girls. Nicky, you can wait on customers and get their orders. Lorna, I want you to help me in the kitchen. And Lysol, you better keep my bakery looking fresh." She instructs firmly, gently taking a hold of Lorna's hand to lead her to the back where the kitchen is.

Feeling her surroundings, Lorna can make out where the stove and oven are, as well as lots of counter space. She has Lysol lie on the floor, out of the way, and tries to figure out where Red might be. She listens to her footsteps, following behind them. "I hope you don't want me to cut anything…I don't think I would be a trustworthy person to do such a task. In fact, I honestly don't know how helpful I'll be…I feel like I can't do anything right now. Everything is so much more difficult without my eyesight," she sighs, frustrated at the fact that it takes her twice as long—occasionally triple—to do things that normally wouldn't take her that long if she could see.

Turning around, Red places a comforting hand onto Lorna's shoulder. She squeezes it softly, staring warmly into her eyes. "Just because you're blind now doesn't mean you won't be helpful. You can take as long as you need with whatever I ask of you; I won't hold it against you. What I want you to do is to help me roll out some dough. That shouldn't be too hard, and I'll let you know when to stop. If you mess up, it's okay, don't be too hard on yourself, Lorna. I understand your situation; I will not make you do things that are impossible for you to handle. You just need to have more confidence in yourself," a softness in her usually firm tone as she quickly runs hand through the other's hair before going to get the dough from the fridge. She puts it out on the counter and gets two rollers from the shelf that she places beside the dough.

Lorna follows the sound of items hitting the table to lead her to it. She listens as Red tells her exactly what to do, grabbing one of the rollers and using it to roll out the dough. She touches the dough, every so often, to make sure it's still there. Having her sight taken away, Lorna never realized how important her other sense could be. Her hearing has become very prominent these last couple of months, and touching is the only way she can feel safe that another human is in her presence. Learning to live with her blindness has been a constant battle for her, but slowly – and most certainly with the help of Nicky and her family – she's starting to adapt to her new lifestyle.

"You're doing a lovely job there, Lorna," Red encourages her, tending to her own dough as she keeps an eye on the brunette. After a few more minutes of rolling out the dough, she has Lorna stop and shows – rather tells her – how to make one of their popular Russian pastries. By the time they finish with that, it's already three in the afternoon and Red decides to let the girls leave for the day. "You did very well today, Lorna. I'm proud of you; tomorrow I'll have you help Nicky ring up customers. As long as you're comfortable doing so. And if anyone gives you trouble, you tell me and I'll deal with them. Because we both know Nicky might overreact," the two share a light-hearted laugh, and Lorna gathers her dog – going off to get Nicky from the front.

* * *

Nicky collapses onto the couch as soon as they get back, and grins when she feels Lorna sit down next to her. She pulls her into her arms, running her hand gently down her back. "Did ya have fun helpin' ma out? She show you how to make anything good, kid?" The redhead asks, pressing her lips warmly atop Lorna's head. Running her hand softly through her hair, she smiles down at her – this woman is the only thing that can keep her off drugs or stop her from even thinking about them. And even more so now, since she needs to constantly be supervised and looked after.

The brunette nods her head but sighs sadly – grieving silently for her eyesight. She misses being able to look at Nicky's face (or any face, really). She misses the sight of the sun shining or the sight of leaves turning color – especially now with fall coming up. All the beautiful sights that she took for granted all of her life, she misses them, longs for them. "Are you smiling, Nicky? I need you to tell me…I need you tell me every detail of what you're doing because I can't stand not being able to see you. Your beautiful, big, brown eyes – I miss them so much! Your thick, red, messy and wild hair…I miss seeing that, too. And of course, your smile; I can't stand not seeing it!" Tears slowly form in her eyes as she cups her frail hands around Nicky's face, letting her fingers touch every inch of it.

"Course' I'm smiling, kid," Nicky softly says, leaning their foreheads together and pressing their lips into each other's in a gentle kiss. "How could I not smile when I have this gorgeous woman laying with me? I can tell you whatever you want, Lorna. Right now, I'm just sitting here, holding you and looking in to your beautiful eyes – the sweet eyes of yours that I wish could work like they used to. I know it's so difficult for you, kid; I'm so sorry you have to deal with this," she runs her hand gently across Lorna's face, kissing her head tenderly. She continues to allow Lorna's hands to explore around on her face – knowing that's her way of 'seeing'. "Aww, kid, please don't cry…I know it's hard and hurts, but it's gonna be okay. I promise, baby. Who knows – maybe one day they'll find a cure for blindness? You never know, Lorna." She knows the chances of that are very slim, but she wants to keep Lorna optimistic; she doesn't want her to become depressed.

Lorna sighs, burying her head into the taller woman's chest as she takes in her scent. She wraps her arms tight around Nicky's neck, giving a soft kiss to it. "I-I love you, Nicky," she whispers, snuggling deeper into her arms. "I really love you."

Having Lorna snuggled up to her brings a warm smile to Nicky's face. She presses a kiss down to her head, wrapping her arms protectively around her. "I love you too, kid, so much. I have since the day we met; you make me so happy, and you definitely help me stay away from drugs – which is saying something, because no one's ever been able to keep me away from them. With a precious person like you in my life, I don't need heroin anymore…I have you, and that's all I need," her voice soft and warm against the brunette's ear as she kisses her softly on the head. "We just need each other, kid, and we'll be okay."

* * *

After work the next day, Nicky decides to take Lorna out for a date – their first real date, now that they're officially girlfriends – to a nice restaurant and then to one of the many, beautiful, parks that New York has. When they arrive at the restaurant, Lorna enters first with Lysol right by her side – receiving glances from other customers as well as an arrogant one from the host. Nicky comes in behind them, noticing the stares her girlfriend is getting and becomes angry. She ignores her anger though as she continues to follow Lorna.

The host stares coldly between Lorna and the dog. He folds his arms over his chest, "You do know that pets are not allowed in here, right? Either get the mutt outta here or we won't serve you." He speaks harshly to the petite brunette, not noticing she's blind or that the dog is a service animal.

Ignoring her anger is not an option any more, not when someone she loves is being deliberately insulted. Nicky glares up at the man, wrapping her arms protectively around Lorna. "Do you not see that this dog is a fucking service dog?! Or that this poor, sweet woman you just fucking upset is blind?! What the fuck kind of person are you? Did they not teach you how to treat customers with dignity and respect? Where the fuck's your damn manager? I wanna see him right now! How dare you speak to my girlfriend like that!" She all but growls at the man, stroking her hand tenderly through Lorna's hair to soothe her.

"You think because she's blind that she has the right to bring a filthy dog in here? What are we allowing people like her to do whatever they want now? The world is fucked up because of people like her! Using their fucking disabilities as an excuse to get away with things! And she's your girlfriend? How much more fucked up can the two of you get? You're gay and disabled, must be one sad life she's leading! You want to speak with my manager? Oh please, he doesn't have time for petty shit like this. Get the fuck outta here, you'll infect people with that woman and her nasty dog," he says, a displeased expression on his face. Other customers give angry glares towards him, and some even leave – disgusted with the foul insults he's spewing out at an innocent woman.

Nicky reaches a boiling point and is very tempted to beat the hell out of the man but feeling Lorna's body shake against her own, she refrains herself and instead, pulls her into her arms to try and calm her down. Glaring darkly at the host, she has a few last words for him, "You are a sick, disgusting piece of shit scumbag. Don't you dare talk about Lorna, don't you dare! She needs this dog to help her fucking get around, she can't fucking see where the hell she's going! She is entitled to have this dog, and all public places are entitled to let the dog in. Don't you fucking dare call this sweet woman fucked up! The only fucked up human here is you! You are a disgrace to all people; your head is so fucking narrow, I'm surprised your brain even fits in there. I hope you lose your eyesight and see for yourself how fucking hard it is for people like my beautiful Lorna to live her everyday life! You're so disgusting… We're definitely leaving, and believe me, I will be giving a call to your manager and letting him know what a horrible piece of shit he hired! You're losing your job, I don't care how many hoops I have to jump through to make that happen! No one fucking insults my Lorna and gets away with it."

* * *

After leaving the restaurant, Nicky decides to take Lorna to the park instead – wanting to sit and calm her down before they go anywhere else. She can't believe how horrible some people could be, and is still a bit shaken up from the experience herself. They finally arrive and Nicky gently sits on the ground with Lorna right beside her, the view of the lake right in front of them. Her arms snake lovingly around Lorna, drawing her onto her lap as she looks softly down at her. "You okay, sweetie?" Her voice gently questions as she presses her lips against the brunette's forehead. "I'm so fucking sorry this happened, kid. But please, don't listen to a thing that fuckwad said. You are a beautiful, sweet, loving, and precious woman. And I love you so damn much."

Tears still running down her cheeks, Lorna shrugs. She's not sure how to feel – she wonders if what he said might be true. "I-I feel so – I'm nothing but a burden, Nicky…I feel terrible for having to depend on you so much! And I – I don't know… It just really fucking sucks being blind; I hate the way people treat me. They make me feel like a fuck-up, maybe he's right," she cries out, slamming her fists into the grass to let out some of her anger. She wraps her arms around the taller woman's neck, burying her face into it as she cries, "I love you, too, Nicky…You're the only one – aside from my family and Red – who treats me like I'm still a person." Her lips press softly against Nicky's cheek.

Nicky's eyes glaze over in empathy as she hears that. She pulls her closer, rubbing her back soothingly. It breaks her heart to know how much Lorna suffers with this terrible side effect of what her father did to her. She can't stand to see her feel this way; she wishes she could fix all her problems, but she knows that's unrealistic. "I know, baby, I know it's hard. I know you're hurting," she warmly says, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead, "You are not a fucking burden to me, kid, don't even think that! I absolutely love taking care of you – you need me, Lorna! We need each other. I wouldn't give up taking care of you for a thing. You're so important to me; I could never abandon you, especially not in a state like what you're in now. You need to be taken care of. You're not a damn fuck-up, don't fucking listen to what he or anyone tells you! You are precious, Lorna, the most precious person in the world. Anyone who tells you otherwise is obviously an idiot." Cupping Lorna's face in her hands, she leans their foreheads together so that the other woman can sense the closeness. She smiles, taking in the beauty of Lorna and softly kisses her on the lips. "You are a person, and you will always be a person. Your blindness is only a very tiny part of you. And regardless, I will always love you. You and I are meant to be together. I don't care what problems either of us have, we can and will survive anything as long as we have each other. Never forget that, baby." Nicky presses another kiss to the other's lips before taking her head and gently laying it against her chest. They spend the rest of the night at the park while enjoying the closeness of each other's bodies.


End file.
